Lack Of Effort And Quitting
November 9th, 2018
Hinting at darker issues?
Earlier this week after watching film of the beatdown to the Stinking Panthers too many times to admit, Bucs Bit-O-Honey-snacking coach Dirk Koetter stated twice publicly that there was a lack of effort by Bucs defenders on the galling 33-yard double-reverse run for a touchdown by Curtis Samuels.
Of course, Koetter wasn’t going to call out names. But Steven Cheah, a SiriusXM producer and hardcore Bucs fan who always has great All-22 cut-ups of Bucs games to share on Twitter, thinks he may have found one culprit: Lavonte David.
Watch the video below and make your own determination.
Joe is starting to wonder if it is more than just “effort.” In Joe’s mind, “effort” is one step away from “quitting.” Now we have all been hearing how the Bucs locker room is divided and this or that. Joe is starting to wonder if Koetter has already lost the locker room.
Notice how more than once, especially when talking about the wretched defense that is on pace to be the worst in NFL history, Koetter often says the problem(s) with the Bucs is “bigger than one person.”
If Koetter lost the locker room or players have quit on him, that surely would apply to what Koetter says about issues being “bigger than one person.”
We all know a certain wide receiver wanted a new quarterback and then asked to be traded (before America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston was benched?).
Joe was texting with an acquaintance earlier this week who played in the SEC and asked him if the Bucs look like they have quit on Koetter. He thinks that’s possible. Why?
The gentleman told Joe that the NFL is a fairly even league when it comes to talent. You know, any given Sunday? He said the defense giving up so many points in the first halves in back-to-back games points to players either dragging tail or mailing it in.
“The NFL isn’t like Oklahoma playing Rice,” the former SEC player told Joe about the talent level.
The last time the Bucs defense was getting rolled so badly was the second half of Raheem Morris’ final season in 2011. That was a season in which the team had known locker room issues and no one had to guess if there was a lack of effort.
The Bucs start the second half of their season Sunday, and it will be interesting if the team can remain professional and give 100 percent like they did last year. That was an act which caught the attention of the family that cuts Bucs players’ paychecks.
On another eye candy play, this double reverse to Curtis Samuel, the Bucs again give up the entire right side. What’s troubling on this play is the effort by their best defender & team captain Lavonte David with a bit of a loaf here (highlighted). Can’t have that #Bucsfilm2018wk9 pic.twitter.com/RHl96J5jq1
— Steven Cheah (@CHEAH_SAY) November 8, 2018
November 9th, 2018 at 12:19 am
No surprise cancer93 has bern quitting on coach for nearly a decade. Cancer93 trained lvd well. Truly buccaneer mean and quitters. Both should be indicted into the ring of underachievement while still active they fit the losers already there perfectly 0
November 9th, 2018 at 12:20 am
Pitts just showed why the Bucs are a complete joke from top to bottom. A complete mirage on all fronts. They get Connor and the Bucs are stuck with no RB for most of a decade. I’m sure glad Ronald Jones is here to the rescue. If the South is that weak then that puts the Bucs where? They get Juju and we get to watch Godwin regress.
Effort? Week 8? Seriously. Sit David. Tell everyone you sat him because he was terrible. How hard is that? You are going to lose anyway. At least you would have gained some respect and David’s consistently average play can be replaced.
When does the fun start? The only enjoyment of a level playing field is so short-lived in a Dirk “We were done before Halloween” Koetter season that you can’t even break in your grill before the season is over. You have to watch two solid months of useless football with players that don’t even want to be there while Koetter is saying he has no answers. This is after the countless debacles of the past decade that have already burned your eyes out. You have to try to be this inept. I mean seriously go out of your way to fail at every level consistently. Sheer chance or luck should come into play at some point. This team is just miserable at every level and that leaves a fan with simply no place to go. It is Human nature not to reward failure of effort. Hence the empty stadium.
November 9th, 2018 at 12:47 am
Dirk throws his 24-year old franchise QB under the bus after a bad road game in order to save himself… what do you think the outcome is going to be? Of course the team is done with him.
On the play above I don’t see anything of note. David is 30 yards away from a play being ran away from him with 80 Bucs defenders there, why is he thinking I need to run full speed with zero chance of getting back into the play when the guy is clearly going to be ran out of bounds by the 80 Bucs defenders. Nonsense to say that is lack of effort or loafing. Blaming him for this play is like the morons who wanted to bench Longoria for not running out a ground ball to 3rd which he had no chance of getting on base for. The defense is terrible but I don’t see loafing on that play, I just see a bunch of guys running around lost not knowing what they’re responsible for. Go back to those all-time great Bucs defenses, guys knew their roles, knew their lanes, understood angles – this current Bucs defense just runs around seemingly randomly – and when it happens this much that means either the coaches are truly terrible or the scheme is truly terrible – or in the Bucs case, both.
November 9th, 2018 at 12:49 am
Season Is Over – The Bucs barely lost the Steelers, so that means the Bucs are better than the Panthers. Don’t you follow your own logic dummy? Anywho go troll where people don’t know you’re a troll – otherwise you’re just wasting your time.
November 9th, 2018 at 12:49 am
Carolina was trying those trick plays on Pittsburgh
But the Steelers linebackers were too fast for the plays to succeed
I believe Koetter has lost the locker room
Even Koetter said that Jameis will be here
When he is ” Long Gone”
November 9th, 2018 at 12:58 am
If the magic beard loses we go back to Jameis. We need to find out if Jameis can play better than a veteran backup. That decision needs to be made. If jameis can play well despite a horrid defense, show growth in the position (cause we should be able to spot better decisions, and accuracy) I don’t want to enter next season with an expensive franchise QB that plays like a backup. I’d rather draft a rookie and throw him in there. At least we wouldn’t know what to expect. We already have an ideal what to expect with Jameis so after the Washington game (if we lose) let him prove his tape wrong and warrant a true reason why we shouldn’t move on.
November 9th, 2018 at 1:03 am
Jameis Winston isn’t going anywhere
You can take this to the bank
November 9th, 2018 at 1:06 am
…and another thing. those who compare JW to Rothlisberger got it half right. Their measurables, their off-field indiscretion are similar, but their games are nothing alike. Ben is accurate, and makes sound decisions.
November 9th, 2018 at 1:45 am
@Jean
Ben also has a running game a competent defense, Jameis…..
November 9th, 2018 at 2:00 am
yeah I get that Jameis hasn’t had the best of everything in 4 years. It appears that maybe everything has to be perfect for him to make him look better. Like I said, when Jameis, if Jameis plays better ……we will notice
November 9th, 2018 at 2:35 am
Offseason focus should be to get all new coaches and GM, then look to fortify the oline, trade softies on the defense, then replace those guys through the draft, bring in a veteran RB and draft one, and keep Jameis for another year to see how he does under the new coach and QB coach. His fate for the seasons after that will be based on his play that season. That for me is the only light at the end of the tunnel.
November 9th, 2018 at 2:48 am
Jean,
The Yucs hasn’t been to the playoffs since January 6, 2008
They haven’t won a playoff game since January 26, 2003
They are no where near perfect
They stinks, they sucks
The last time they played in a playoff game
Jameis Winston turned 14 on that exact same day
You obvious don’t know the history of this team
They are 53-99 during the past 9 1/2 seasons
November 9th, 2018 at 2:52 am
** You obviously**
November 9th, 2018 at 2:53 am
You can’t blame Jameis Winston for this stench
November 9th, 2018 at 2:59 am
@Joe … “The gentleman told Joe that the NFL is a fairly even league when it comes to talent.” Beg to differ Joe … the Bucs have some guys playing every week who couldn’t even make the Browns roster, or any roster for that matter. Jason Licht has created a dumpster fire & there’s only one way to put it out: close the lid on the dumpster & toss it over the side of the pirate ship (or in our case, The Good Ship Lollipop). Clean house.
BTW, I didn’t see LVD quit on that play. He got faked out of his jockstrap once Samuels cut back, but that’s not quitting IMO (just terrible football). The real question is if LVD is worth what he’s costing us ($8.7 mil in 2018 rising to $9.7 mil in 2019 & $10.7 mil in 2020, but with ZERO dead CAP money after this year). Bucs could sign TWO very good LBs for that type of money. Hop in the dumpster LVD, you ‘earned it’.
It also brings up the question of why so many 2nd contract Bucs seem to play lousy after they get the big payday. GMC … check. LVD … check. Gholston … check. And yes, this year I’d add Marpet & Brate (neither has exactly ‘stepped it up’ to show they were worth the big $$$). Mike Evans is about the only 2nd contract Bucs I’d give a big thumbs-up to in terms of being worth every penny he’s being paid.
November 9th, 2018 at 3:47 am
Any Cam Newton Jameis comparisons? To all the Jameis Haters, how did cam play last nihht
November 9th, 2018 at 4:04 am
i watched it over and over…LD didn’t loaf…he english muffined
November 9th, 2018 at 5:20 am
Bring back Monte K.
November 9th, 2018 at 5:49 am
This is all on the Buc coaches……
Perhaps Light has brought in great players…..but the Coaches can’t coach them up.
RBs
DBs
Dline
Oline
QB
LBs
Kicker
The Punting WR, & TE coaches are doing their jobs.
November 9th, 2018 at 5:58 am
Hey hey hey we’re the Yuckaneers…. back to the “Glory Days” on that play
November 9th, 2018 at 6:52 am
In the words of Mike Smith ” the sky is not falling”……yeah right. I believe those words got him canned by his best friend, allegedly (I’m sure there were some outside leverage by more than just Koetter). When you have the worst pass defense in the league and about to break NFL records for having the worst defense in NFL History in 3 different categories…. guess what?
THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!!
I would rather sit anyone showing lack of effort and giving up, Like David, and have green rookies out there showing heart and some brass than the sh!t show we have been watching with these loafers mailing it in.
November 9th, 2018 at 6:56 am
Several players players were out of position because they bit on the fake and
LVD was one of them and then he got juked out by the runner. Yes it was a bad pursuit angle but since he ran all the way across the field, I am not buying the lack of effort claim.
I will say this about LVD and Kwan we better get somebody to play better
than them first ,because I have seen little to make me think any other linebacker on the active should be playing anything but special teams.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:21 am
Rod Munch Says:
“Dirk throws his 24-year old franchise QB under the bus after a bad road game in order to save himself…”
Oh, now come on…you know full well that benching Winston for a game or so was justified.
I think he should be put back in, but I cannot bring myself to blame Dirk for going with Ryan Fitzpatrick right now. Ryan will blow it, but Dirk had to do something.
And even if he had kept Winston in, everyone here would be blaming him for doing so.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:25 am
On a side note, I wanted Lavante David traded last year…and everyone said I was insane. He had the potential to be great, but he has never achieved that potential. He’s now aging out.
You don’t wait until he has no value…which is what has been done. At most, we might see a team offer a third rounder for him.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:28 am
Everyone acting like this is something new! There are several quitters on this team who have gotten other coaches fired. You get a couple check cashers and just like the old saying one bad apple they ruin the whole bunch. Where is all that McCoy love that we were seeing before the season? Unlike other D lineman past and present he does quit once the play makes it past the line of scrimmage which is most of the time with the Bucs
November 9th, 2018 at 7:29 am
IMO the green rookies are part of the problem . you have to trust the player next to you to do their job. One example, our rookie safety is supposed to be a good tackler but I’ve also seen him whiff on tackles when he had a bead on a runner.
Justin Evans has not played as well once we lost Conte. Can’t say enough
about having veteran presence on the field.
The responsibility for this hot mess on defense lies first and foremost on Jason Licht. The lack of experience and cohesiveness of the defensive roster is the problem. This is what you get when you neglect the defense and make poor
decisions in free agent signings. I give Licht a NO CONFIDENCE vote in his ability to build a defensive roster.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:38 am
Jameis was benched because he was not playing like a franchise quarterback.
Simple as that. His turnovers were increasing at an alarming rate. His play was hurting the team.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:39 am
The rookies are NOT the problem it’s the culture and lack of on the field leadership! If Ray Lewis was still playing and on the field for the Bucs do you think the team would give this kind of effort? Do you think they would make the same stupid mistakes over and over? Not only coaches but teammates need to hold each other accountable.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:56 am
Geraldine is hot garbage but lvd is a grown man. Geraldine takes a lot of heat and doesn’t handle it well either but few have been call David out until now. He’s washed up and appears he’s now tired of stealing money from the glazers and instead of making a business decision to play just hard enough to escape criticism, he’s going the ethical route to recuse himself from being a part of the bucs after this season.
Difference between David and Geraldine is he loves his money and he’s gonna play just a bit harder the second half of the season to make it seem like he’s valuable. I’m gonna go ahead and say I hate Geraldine. This is the type of clown who pulls up next to cars at a red light in his Bentley you look take a look at the car and this idiot is staring at you with a grin because you noticed the car. I want him run out of town so bad. I remember Sapp doing 90 in the highway headed to ray jay in his Mercedes Benz with the top down laughing with a big smile on his face long time ago but everyone around him was irrelevant. He didn’t care 2 craps about anybody. Lavonte dude is just invisible now and old like Geraldine. Please no one else come in here and try to build a defense around them again just move on already
November 9th, 2018 at 8:04 am
Signs of a team giving up on its’ coach.
November 9th, 2018 at 8:09 am
Why in the world is Jameis name mention in this forum, he is not on the field. Fine someone else to blame, this mess on. How about this past year draft picks. This team needs a new GM and need to let this backstabbing coach go. This coach tell his player’s one thing and do just the opposite, which cause the player’s to look the other way, when he talks to them. This team has some racial divide in the locker room.
November 9th, 2018 at 8:28 am
These guys are doing what coaches allow them to do. When you guys making the money they are making and feel it’s best to wait like 4 weeks into the season to pick captains then yes I think front office knows the losing era or lvd and Geraldine has to come to an end. This nothing to with Winston, “3 winnable games” people keep mentioning can prove that. Sit Winston for the “ better” quarterback and then we’ll see whether Winston is the problem.
Leaders of the losing era need to come to an end and Winston should get a year with a different coordinator and quarterback coach. Everybody was patting Winston on the back after his rookie season when even he came out at the end of the season and said guys don’t care enough about losing. Fast forward and licht ruined his career by allowing those losers to lead the charge
November 9th, 2018 at 8:47 am
Thanks Ed! It has to be,jealousy or pure racism!! I guess the fans are still mad, that #14 isn’t the Great White Hope, after all!!! “He makes everyone play better” My A$$!!!!
November 9th, 2018 at 8:52 am
Tons of blame to go around but again I think it starts at our “core players”. Sure firing Koetter might bring on a better coach, maybe not. Regardless of the coach it is clear as day to me these guys on defense lack heart/desire and might even be overrated. We love to talk about how great Kwon, LVD, McCoy, Grimes, etc are but these guys have trotted out to some of the worst defenses I have ever seen. The defense is so bad that we mind as well trade them all for picks and reboot what would be lost? Can it get any worse?
November 9th, 2018 at 8:53 am
I’m neither a Winston hater nor a Winston supporter, but looking at the Bucs record over the last ten years, it’s clear that the problem goes beyond one QB or one head coach…
November 9th, 2018 at 8:56 am
The entire D needs to be blown up, top to bottom, coaches and players, with very few exceptions.
November 9th, 2018 at 9:00 am
@Ed, I mention Winston in discussions about the D because he represents a huge cap # for 2019 which should be spent on defense. Getting rid, one way or another, of McCoy, David, Winston Gholston, Curry, Grimes (who is gone anyway), and signing Alexander to a friendly “prove it” deal would allow the cheese to completely retool.
And if Alexander doesn’t want a “prove it”, no big loss. He runs around like a chicken with his head cut off often anyway.
November 9th, 2018 at 9:23 am
They need to blow the entire thing up and start over !! I’m talking from
the horrific uniforms to the security guard. Tell OJ, Chris, maybe Evans that it’s going to be a 2 year plan and address the entire defense and draft Tua in 2020. I can’t think of one person I would keep as a starter, but I think some can be backups am fepulf give them some depth. It’s not just the system, but a complete cultural change !! David, McCoy, and others aren’t winners and it’s time they see that because it’s so obvious they are there to collect checks ?? Thank God we have the Lightning and maybe the Glazies will sell the team
November 9th, 2018 at 9:27 am
@CobraBoy
While the players on your list play is tailing off. Jason Licht has not shown the ability to remake the defensive roster. His 2014 roster should be proof of that.
Hopefully the Bucs hire a manager of football operations and a new GM to
decide who to phase out and who to jettison outright. Its up to the players to
put out the effort to prove it on the field in the next 8 games.
November 9th, 2018 at 10:02 am
I told somebody today that I was a Buc fan and he laughed right in my face…..I’m sick of having to hide in the closet as a fan. Tired of living in shame.
Glazers, can you please petition the league to let you move to London? I’m at the point where I’d rather have no team then to be thoroughly embarrassed from Sept to Jan every year.
Just like take this team away I don’t want them anymore.
November 9th, 2018 at 10:14 am
Get gashed by the Skins and everyone will know the team has quit on Koetter like they did with Rah back in 2011 at 4-12. If that is the case then the Glazers need to do something that has not happened at One Buc since 1990 when Hugh Culverhouse; owner of one of the 3 most obnoxious blazers ever worn on the planet (along with hockey legend Don Cherry and the late Craig Sager) and our floundering Bucs did to his Bama buddy Ray Perkins who was 5-8: FIRE the coach in mid season…….. It makes sense as at 3-6 the team will implode anyhow and whomever is the interim can start the process of getting players to show up and play for their futures: particularly the defensive players and Koetter is pushing all the wrong buttons now…. I follow the Vegas lines and still can not believe the Bucs are a 3 point fave and a -155 on the money line. In fact the game opened even/-110 and money pushed the line out to 3. The only thing I can think of is that DC must have worse injuries than reported or a lot of degenerate Redskin haters from NY, Dallas, and Philly must be putting all their chips in against Washington…. I hope the wise guys are right on this one and the Bucs get the W but being a Bucs fan I just know that rarely happens unless in the long run it kills the franchise in the draft (like last year in beating the Jets, Miami, or the Saint finale)…..
Early Christmas wish: Vinik buys the Bucs….. yeah ain’t gonna happen but just imagine if he could turn the franchise around like his people did with the Bolts….. just saying….
November 9th, 2018 at 11:36 am
Joe seems to recall the Bucs beating the Browns last month.
November 9th, 2018 at 12:05 pm
@Fairminded
“Hey hey hey we’re the Yuckaneers…. back to the “Glory Days” on that play”
—————————–
Even when we were really bad, our Defense was never this clown show…
It was our Defense that kept us hanging on as Buc Fans, there was at least something to be proud of.
We’re in a whole new territory now…..
November 9th, 2018 at 12:08 pm
Joe seems to recall the Bucs beating the Browns last month.
Is that what that was? or did the Browns do everything in their power to give us that win..Despite JW’s best effort to give it back.
November 9th, 2018 at 12:24 pm
I don’t see a lack of effort, I see a lack of intelligence. I see that every time a QB has even hinted at play action and then went back to pass. David and Alexander are notorious for biting hard on play action and leaving the middle wide open. They are without a doubt, the two worst “fast” coverage LBs in the NFL. They can’t cover anybody in zone or man… just terrible. Barrett Ruud was not a good athlete but was twice the coverage guy that those two are…. and I didn’t even like Barrett Ruud (who was half the run stopper that Alexander and David are).
November 9th, 2018 at 3:52 pm
GMC and LVD both need to go. Neither one is living up to their paycheck. Neither one brings any leadership or accountability to the locker room. Its sad really.
November 9th, 2018 at 5:54 pm
Yeah LargoBuc, the way LVD and his buddy Kwon handled a bit of criticserve ism from Sapp revealed an alarming level of immaturity and these are 2 of the guys who were supposed to holding the locker room together. Neither is a leader and while they probably could make most 53 man rosters they are not great players or leaders. We all know GMC is not Lee Roy Selmon but the guy is way too soft. Apologizing to Big Ben in earshot of the ref after a rare hard hit drew a 15 yarder and was unacceptable. Thus I agree none of the above deserve big fat contracts and a change of scenery could be in order after Licht and Koetter are canned.
November 9th, 2018 at 7:13 pm
Dirk Koetter is dead man walking wether he knows it or not. It’s not just the wins vs loses but the product you put on the field. Lack of effort is inexcusable. I’ll be the first to admit I was all in on Koetter in 2016 with how the offense improved from the years before but I just see him as a good guy not a good coach. The NFL is full of good guys and not all are successful.